Platform systems are utilized in a variety of industrial and commercial facilities to provide access from one location to another. Generally speaking, such platform systems often fall into one of two categories: crossover platforms and access platforms. Crossover platforms function as bridges, providing a path over some obstruction, such as pipes or industrial machinery. Access platforms, on the other hand, typically allow a user to reach or access a desired area or object from another location.
Usually, platform systems are specially designed and constructed for a particular location and application. While this provides an acceptable platform for one situation, it is not adaptable or reconfigurable as the situation changes (or for another situation). To address this limitation, the art has provided modular platform systems which are configurable for use in a variety of different situations. These systems utilize a number of components, which can be selected and assembled according to the needs of a particular situation. In this way, a wide variety of different crossover and access platforms can be provided using different combinations and configurations of the available components. One such modular platform system is shown and described in U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0015016 (“the '016 publication”), filed on Jul. 16, 2011 and accorded application Ser. No. 13/184,499, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
The present invention recognizes the foregoing considerations, and others, of the prior art.